Three Conversations
by poeticgrace
Summary: Three conversations have the power to make everything right again.
1. Jack

"Do you remember?"

Josephine Potter looked up over the edge of her coffee cup with a raised eyebrow, tilting her head to the side in contemplation. "What do you mean, do I remember?"

The man sitting across from her shook his head before looking down at his own mug. They were three-thousand miles from where they started, tucked away at a small coffee shop in Inner Sunset. Joey had been working in publishing in San Francisco for five years now and taught writing classes a few evenings each week. Despite all the years, she was still very much the girl she had been at eighteen – with soulful brown eyes that were wise beyond her age and wavy chestnut hair that shone in the warm afternoon sun. He loved her now as much as he had loved her then.

Joey had gone her own way after Jen's death, leaving Boston and her old group of friends far behind. She had managed to make things work with Pacey for that first year, but work and the weight of mourning their old friend was just too much for either of them. She had also kept in touch with Dawson during that first year, talking to him every week after his show ended. However, when spring had given way to summer and Joey had immersed herself in a project, she had lost touch with both of them. A bitter break-up with Pacey and a slew of unanswered calls from Dawson later, she had become someone she knew that neither of them would recognize. She had always believed that it was the choices that made you who you were, and choosing to leave behind both of her childhood loves had turned Joey into this woman.

"Do you remember how important everything used to seem?" Jack McPhee asked before leaning over to brush a strand of hair from his daughter's face. She was five now, with blonde hair just like her mother's and a wise presence like her adoptive father's. Jack was the only one who knew where she was at. He hadn't even told Doug that she had ended up in San Francisco. When an education conference had sent him to the west coast, he had made plans to visit his old friend. "It seems silly now."

A genuine smile spread across her pretty face. There was something about seeing old friends who knew the history behind the feelings and the stories. "Some of it seemed silly then, but most of it felt like life and death," she admitted. The end of her junior year came immediately to mind, when she had left a sobbing Dawson on a dock to sail around the world with Pacey. It felt like the most important decision she would ever make. "Jack, I know I said I wouldn't ask..." She stopped short of actually asking the question. Asking it meant that they would become real again and would be more than just a memory of people she used to know. "How are they?"

Jack took a drink of coffee and looked up at his old friend. Joey, she'd always been confused, that one. He had loved their friendship because without her, he might have never got the courage to be who he was today. "Pacey is doing pretty well. I saw him last week at dinner," he told her. "He's working pretty hard at the restaurant, putting in long hours but actually doing really well despite the economy. Gale is helping him manage it. You should see Lily, Jo, she's getting so big!"

"Yeah, Bess sent picture a few weeks ago of her and Alexander," Joey smiled fondly. "History repeating itself, huh? Bess says that they are inseparable. Gail's husband even put up a ladder outside Lily's room so Alex can climb in. I still remember when Mich put that up for me. Gail and Mom thought it was a bad idea, but Mitch said that he'd rather do that since he knew I'd climb up the trellis anyway."

The way that Joey spoke about Dawson was different, and Jack recognized it immediately. No matter what had happened between them and how much time had passed, Dawson Leery would forever remain her soulmate. "He misses you, too, Jo," he said softly. He didn't need to hear the words to know that she was missing him fiercely. "I think he owns every book you have edited."

"Do you know he made me a producer on _The Creek_?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "I get a check every Thursday afternoon on schedule, wired to my old account back in Capeside."

"Dawson told me," Jack retorted, brushing his hand through his hair. He watched Amy for a moment, happy that his beautiful little girl was still innocent and young enough that she didn't get caught up in boys. "He also told me that you are taking that money to set up an art and film program at Capeside. How did he find that our before me when I teach there?"

Joey grinned mischievously, as the two of them were both quite aware of the length she had gone through to hide her current location. "I had my assistant in New York send a thank you letter and a brief outline of the plan that I set up with the school," she confessed. "That's actually part of the reason that I wanted to meet up with you. You love art, and more importantly, you love Dawson and me. I was hoping that you would serve as the staff sponsor."

"Of course!" he exclaimed excitedly, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. "But don't think for a minute that offer is going to divert me from the conversation at hand, Ms. Potter. How is it possible that no one has ever found you?"

"My office is based out of Chicago and my assistant is in New York," she shrugged. "You know that I set it up that way on purpose, Jack. I'm just not Joey from across the Creek anymore."

"I know, you are this important editor, Jo, but come on," he disagreed, looking at her pointedly. "You haven't moved on anymore than they have. If you truly had, you wouldn't care if they knew where you were. You wouldn't be hiding, and you wouldn't have to go to these great lengths to cover up your entire life."

A soft breeze passed by, sending her hair whipping around her face. "Sometimes I think how disappointed Jen must be in me. Her dying wish had been for me to make a choice," she looked down at her hands and then at the little girl sitting between them. "I tried, Jack. I just..."

"You just chose wrong," Jack finished for her. It was the one thing she had never managed to say out loud, and now that she was finally confessing it, maybe they could all move forward. "You need to deal with this, Jo, before it's too late. Time goes so quickly. Jen loved you so much and more than anything, she just wanted us to be happy. She wanted us to stay friends. Pace and Dawson still talk. Audrey was just in town for a visit, and Andie saw Dawson last month when she was in Los Angeles for a medical conference. She is going to spend a week with me and the rest of the Witter clan on the Cape this spring. We're all still connected. The only thing missing is you."

"I'm scared, Jack."

"I know you are, but you're a big girl now. You have to deal with this, Jo. You can't just keep hiding. The three of you will never truly be happy until everything has been dealt with. For so long, you were this barrier between the two of them, and after Jen died and you chose Pacey, they were finally able to put it behind them. Pacey leaned on Dawson after you ended your engagement," Jack revealed. This was part of the story she had never heard before. "And you know what Pacey said? He told Dawson that his only comfort was that maybe the two of you would finally make things work and you could finally be happy in a way that you never quite were with him. If that's not a blessing, Jo, I don't know what is. You have to go back and talk to Pacey. And you have to head to Hollywood to see Dawson. If you don't do it now, you may never get this chance again."

"I haven't been back in such a long time," Joey lamented, thinking about that warm summer she had spent in Capeside after Jen died. The group of friends had spent a few lazy weeks in the small town, watching movies in Dawson's childhood room and looking through old photo albums. "I don't even know what to do."

"It's still the same," Jack told her. "Grams is even back in her house."

"I still can't believe that you and Doug are living there," Joey grinned.

"It just felt right," Jack replied with a shrug before Amy crawled out of her chair and into his lap. She rested her head against his shoulder sleepily. "Having Grams there is not only a great help but I need her there. She is the only one who really understands, you know? Doug tries, but there are times when it's just too much. I miss her every day still, and the older this one gets, the more I miss her."

Amy was the spitting image of her mother. No one had felt Jen's loss more than Jack except Grams, and the two of them had become even closer after Jen had died. She helped take care of Amy just like she had Jen, making sure that her great-granddaughter knew about faith and acceptance and love and forgiveness.

"It's time, isn't it?" Joey asked. It had been time for quite awhile, but she was finally brave enough and strong enough to answer that question. "I need to say goodbye to Pacey once and for all. I need closure so I can move forward...move forward with Dawson hopefully."

"He's been waiting to make you his wife since he was fifteen years old, Jo, I don't think there is any doubt that he is going to be there waiting for you," Jack vowed. Dawson and Joey were the very definition of soulmates, something that they all strove to be. Even after eight years with Doug, he still didn't have even a sliver of what Dawson and Joey shared. It was something altogether different, but he envied what they had just a little bit. "Come home with us, Jo, come home to Capeside."

Amy clapped her hands excitedly. "Are you going to come visit, Auntie Joey?"

Joey reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'm thinking about it, Amy, what do you think?"

"You should come! You should come! Right, Daddy?"

"Right, sweetie," he whispered before dropping a kiss on her head. "You heard her, Jo. You have to come now. You can't disappoint us."

Joey rested her head on her hand before looking out at the water. She had always loved this coffee shop because it reminded her a little bit of home. "Two conversations," she mused. "I have a lot of vacation time. I haven't been off more than a day or two in over three years. I can do this."

"You can do this," Jack emphasized. "And maybe if everything goes well, all of us can get together soon so that I don't have to compartmentalize my friendships. They all miss you, even Doug."

"Alright, McPhee," Joey smiled confidently. "Let's do this. Take me home. I'm ready to go back."


	2. Pacey

While California may have been unseasonably warm, the icy winds of Massachusetts weren't as forgiving. With a foot of fresh powder and subzero temperatures waiting for her when she stepped off the plane in Boston, Joey wasn't prepared for the harsh reality of a New England winter anymore than she was ready to see Pacey. People rushed around her, their conversation washing over her like a constant hum as she stood amidst the crowd. Bodie was supposed to be waiting for her at baggage claim, if she had any idea which direction that was. Finally spotting a sign ahead, she pulled her coat around her tighter and forged onward in the mass of people moving every which way.

Her brother-in-law raised his hand in greeting as she approached him at the baggage claim. Wrapping his arm around her from the side, Bodie made a joke about the weather just in time for the conveyor belt to snap to life. "Rough flight?"

"Rough life," Joey joked, something they always did when she came back East to visit the family. Bodie chuckled lightly as she reached for her worn suitcase, showing all the wear and tear it got from traveling between the coasts and overseas. "I'm glad that there is room at the inn for me."

"Always, Jo, you know that," he reminded her, before kissing her temple. Bodie had been around for a long time now and was as much her sibling as Bess. He was a good chef, a great husband and an amazing father. Joey admired what her sister shared with the man and aspired for that kind of strength and stability in her own marriage someday. While it was far from perfect, the two of them never gave up on each other or the family they had built. Your sister made your mom's pancakes for dinner and invited Jack and Doug to bring Amy over. Lily is over playing with Alex, too, so you will be able to catch up with your other favorite Leery."

Joey's stomach flipped over at the thought of seeing Dawson's sister. She was as precocious as Dawson had been at that age, a wide-eyed innocent just like her older brother. Bess said that she looked more and more like Mitch every day, and for that, Joey was grateful. The world needed to have a little bit of Mitch Leery living on, and between Dawson's spirit and Lily's heart, she felt confident that future generations would know the man she considered to be her second father in many ways. There aren't too many happy memories from her childhood after her mother died without the Leery family in it.

The winds had really picked up by the time Bodie got the car into Capeside, but Joey didn't really seem to notice much other than her old haunts. They passed by the place where their family restaurant had been, and Joey still felt a little bit sad to see the chain fast food joint in its place. Her eyes widened as he turned down the main street of town, past Leery's Fresh Fish and near Pacey's restaurant. She spotted his old Mustang near the back entrance, in the same spot he always parked. She thought about getting out now, having Bodie drop her off and getting it over with. However, she knew that she owed both of them more than that, and right now, she just really wanted to get home.

Within a few minutes, they were pulling up in front of the Potter B&B. Joey smiled happily as she looked up at the old house, remembering all the family memories that had haunted that place for generations now. Bodie told her that he was heading inside and grabbed her suitcase before making a dash for the house. Joey lagged behind, taking her time to look around the yard at the place where Dawson had once built her a white picket fence. Inevitably, her eyes found their way to the creek and across the water to where the Leery house was lit up. As always, Dawson was her one true north.

"Come on, Jo, get your butt in here!" came Bessie's billowing voice from the darkened porch. Joey laughed in response before jogging toward the house. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes."

"Hey, Bess," she whispered before allowing her sister to embrace her tightly. Joey fought back tears as she hugged her older sibling, feeling finally like she was home. "I really need to come home more often, huh?"

"I've been telling you that for years!" she giggled through tears of her own before looping her arm through Joey's and leading her into the house. Lily and Alexander were on the floor of the entry way playing some intricate game of Candyland with Amy. Jack and Doug were at the table along with Grams. Bodie was already at the stove, frying up bacon to complete their dinner. "Look what I found outside!"

"Aunt Joey!" Alex called out excitedly as he jumped to his feet. He scampered across the floor and threw his arms around his only aunt. "Mom said you were coming, but I told her I wouldn't believe it until I saw you!"

Joey rolled her eyes at her nephew's dramatic streak. "Of course I'm here, Alexander."

"Hi, Auntie Joey," Amy called before throwing down a car and moving her red plastic piece on the game board. "Look, I'm winning!"

"That's great, sweetie," she retorted, leaning down to kiss the top of her blonde head. Lily watched her curiously, unexpectedly shy in Joey's presence. She supposed that it was normal considering that the girl hadn't really seen her much in recent years. "Hey, Lily, how are you?"

"Very good, thank you," she replied primly. "How are you?"

"I'm doing good now that I'm home, but it's a little cold."

"Yeah, we're not going to have school tomorrow!" Lily said excitedly, causing all three kids to cheer. Snow days were to be coveted. "Mom even said I could spend the night over here. Amy is going to stay too. We're gonna camp out in the living room."

"You are?" Joey smiled. "I used to camp out with your brother and Pacey on snow days at your house. We would build these really elaborate pillow forts with blankets on all the furniture. It used to drive your mom crazy because we would knock everything over."

"What'd my dad do?"

"Your dad would crawl in there and help us," Joey remembered aloud. "He was really good at building all these tunnels. We thought it was the coolest thing in the world. Of course, Dawson would want to tell stories – usually about _Jaws_ or something – to scare me. And Pacey would always do something gross to make me cringe. It was actually really fun."

"Sounds like it," Lily said softly. "I miss him."

"Your dad?"

Lily looked down at her hands and nodded. "And Dawson."

"I'm working on that one, Lil," Joey told her quietly. "I promise."

The rest of the night went off pretty well, with everyone talking late into the night around the table and the kids playing until they couldn't stay awake on the floor nearby. One by one, people said goodnight – first the kids to go play in the living room, then Jack and Doug to take Grams back to her house and then finally Bess and Bodie disappeared upstairs. Joey stayed up later, sitting in her favorite old chair in front of the bay window and staring across the frozen creek at a dark window.

When morning finally came, Joey grabbed a cup of coffee and borrowed the keys to the old rusty pickup truck to reconnect with another old friend. Pacey was already at his desk when Joey let herself into the restaurant, using the spare key he hid in a little magnetic box on the underside of the air conditioning unit. The entire place smelled of freshly brewed coffee, and Joey stopped to refill her travel mug before coming back into his office. "Hey, Witter."

Pacey's eyes went wide and then lit up as he realized that she was there. "Well, Josephine Potter, as I live and breathe," he nearly gasped, scrambling out of his chair to come greet her with a hug. "What are you doing in town and how did you get in?"

"Key under the AC," she said. "Came to visit my family and a few old friends."

"Well, I'm honored that you still count me amongst the ranks."

"Near the top," she retorted. "Do you have a minute to talk, Pace?"

"For you, Jo, I still got all the time in the world," he replied. "Why don't you come sit at the counter? I'll fry us up some breakfast while we talk. A girl's gotta eat, right?"

Joey followed Pacey toward the kitchen and tucked herself into one of the tall stools behind the counter. He didn't even have to ask what she wanted. She had always loved his fresh crab omelet – a specialty at his restaurant. That, paired with sourdough toast and turkey bacon – were exactly what a morning like this ordered. And getting to watch him cook was an added bonus. She had always loved watching him, how he flicked his wrist perfectly to crack an egg or knew exactly when to flip the bacon without looking or always managed to get the toast just the right touch of golden brown.

"Alright, Potter, what's up? What brings the elusive editor back to her old stomping grounds?"

"I've been in San Francisco all this time."

"I had no idea," he said honestly, "though, I guess no one did."

"Just my family and Jack," she told him. "He came to see me a few weeks ago. We talked a lot about the past and Jen and everything that happened. I had been thinking about it a lot before Jack came to the city, and when I saw him, everything just bubbled over. I was looking at Amy and all I could think about was how much I let Jen down. All she wanted was for me to pick..."

Pacey looked at her for a moment before turning back to the stove to tend to his eggs. "And?"

"I'm sorry that I broke your heart, Pacey."

He turned back to her and shook his head. "I think it's fair to say we both did the breaking in that one, Potter."

"No, don't do that. Don't take responsibility for what I did. I shouldn't have put us through that."

"It's in the past, Jo," he shrugged. "I've moved on. I'm actually even happy. A part of me will always love you, but I'm never going to love you in the way that you need to be loved. I tried to be your soulmate, but I'm not him. I accepted that a long time ago, and I thought you had. I see now that it was inevitable. It was always going to end up this way."

"Still..."

"The only thing I didn't get was why you tried to be with me when you were knew it was him."

"Because I loved you both," she said truthfully, "but in very different ways. I just convinced myself that my love for you meant something different than it did."

Pacey dropped a few slices of bread into the industrial toaster before turning back to face her. He leaned against the counter and looked into her dark brown eyes. "He misses you, Jo."

"Funny you should say that," she smiled. "You're the second ex-boyfriend to tell me that lately."

"So, listen to us, Jo," Pacey urged her. "Jack loves you, as do I. It's time. We've all sat on the sidelines and watched the will-they-won't-they, Dawson/Joey dance for way too long. Go to L.A. Confess your undying love for Dawson and marry the man. Have babies. Name one Pacey after his favorite uncle or maybe Lindley after her guardian angel. You two deserve to be happy."

Joey jumped down from her stool and came around the counter. "Thanks, Pace," she breathed with relief, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you for the advice, for the blessing and for loving us both enough to want us to be happy."


	3. Dawson

February in Los Angeles was much more forgiving than the cold winter that had plagued Joey's two-week visit to Capeside. She had enjoyed her time at home, catching up with many of the people who had watched her change and let her grow. She had had dinner with Jack, Doug and Amy at their house, went to a few of Alexander's basketball games, gone shopping with Bodie at the farmer's market in Boston, looked through old photo albums with Bess, visited her parents' and Mitch's graves, had a movie night with Lily, took a night out for karaoke with Pacey and a visiting Andie and spent six hours talking with Gayle in Dawson's old bedroom. Before she had left, she had asked all of her friends and family for one simple thing – let her talk to Dawson before they told him about her trip home. Once everyone had agreed, Joey rearranged her schedule for a few more weeks off and headed for the warm sunshine of the West Coast.

It was a week before Valentine's Day, and Joey hoped that she would still be here seven days later, spending it with Dawson for the first time in years. She had set up a meeting through Dawson's assistant at a restaurant downtown, using a fake name and a fake story about wanting to sell him production rights to a few manuscripts her publishing company owned. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but as she waited now in the small Italian bistro, she wondered if she shouldn't have just knocked on his door and dealt with it head on.

"Yes, Mr. Leery, if you will just follow me back here," she heard the young hostess announce. Joey shifted uncomfortably in her seat and hid her face behind a menu. "Your waiter will be back in a few minutes to take your drink order."

Dawson waited until the perky blonde had disappeared before looking across the table. His breath caught in his throat as Joey slowly lowered the menu and sat it on the table. His eyes crashed with her, his jaw falling open slightly as his hands began to shake. Joey's eyes shook in response as she struggled to hold their gaze, wanting desperately not to cry but knowing that tears were inevitable. She tried to say something but the words just wouldn't seem to come. Sensing her struggle, Dawson rushed around the table and enveloped her in his arms. "Everything's fine, Jo," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair soothingly. "Everything is alright now."

Joey buried her face in his chest and clung to his expensive shirt, bunching the material in her slender fingertips. Dawson tightened his grip around her waist and breathed in her familiar scent. "Dawson," she breathed finally, her voice a comforting relief to him amidst the overwhelming silence. He tucked her head under his chin and held her closer. She pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes. "I told Pacey goodbye."

He wanted to kiss her then but thought twice of it. They couldn't rush into this because they had been there before. Joey had ended that relationship too many times, and Dawson had always given into his love for her afterward. Tears shone in her dark eyes, glittering brilliantly in the soft candlelight of their private room. He brushed them away with the pads of his thumbs, allowing his fingers to dance across the soft curves of her cheek. "God, I just missed you."

"I missed you, too," she giggled in response, allowing herself to fall back against him. "I follow your career, though, almost religiously. I almost feel like I'm there with you sometimes."

"Jo, you know you're always with me," he told her softly, "but that doesn't mean that things are going to go back to the way they were. It's been five years, Jo. A lot has changed. I don't even know where you've been. You didn't say a word to me, not even after I made you an executive producer. I thought I would at least get a thank-you card. The only thing I know is that you started the program at the school in our names. Jack wouldn't tell me anything else. Neither would Bess or Bodie. I even tried to bribe Alexander, but he told me that they wouldn't even tell him where you were just in case someone got to him."

Joey didn't want to pull away from him but knew that it was important that they had this talk. She led him back to the booth, sliding into the seat beside him so that he was close. If she blocked him in next to the wall, he wouldn't be able to escape when she messed this up. "I was in San Francisco," she confessed. "Jack, Bodie and my sister were the only people who knew where I was until a couple weeks ago when I went back to Capeside. I asked everyone not to tell you until I got the chance to see you myself."

"You saw my mom? Pace?"

She nodded as she fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth nervously. Dawson reached down and took the white linen from her grip, replacing it with his own fingers in an effort to calm her. "Jack came to visit me right after the New Year. I had been thinking about Jen a lot lately, and I told him how disappointed I thought she would be in me. He told me that it was time, and after a lot of thought, I knew that he was right," she explained. "I was there for two weeks, and yes, I did see Pacey. I told him what he already knew, and he gave me his blessing. More importantly, I got the chance to catch up with two other people who gave their blessing."

"Bess and Bodie?"

"Your mom and Lily," Joey revealed. Dawson smiled fondly at the mention of the two leading ladies in his life. "She's incredible, Dawson. She reminds me so much of you and your dad and your mom – this tiny little perfect package of all three of you. We watched movies in your old room, and I ended up staying the night. I slept on my side, don't worry. And when I woke up, your mom brought coffee up, and we ended up spending the whole day talking."

"My mom always loved you, Jo, you know that," Dawson reminded her. "You were her first daughter in a lot of ways, and even after everything, that never changed. She lived for whatever tiny little details Bess would share. I think sometimes she almost missed you as much as I did."

Joey smiled fondly as Dawson talked about his mother. After Mitch had died, the two of them had formed a special relationship that no one outside the lost sibling-lost parent circle could understand. There was a reliance between the two of them as they worked in tandem to run a business, raise a little girl and keep a life together. It was almost like a marriage except that Dawson wasn't a husband but instead an 18 year-old-son that should have been enjoying his first year of college and living his wildest dreams in Hollywood rather than being tied down to something he didn't choose back in Capeside. Joey thinks of that as his lost year, though looking back she realized they both needed that year to truly understand each other. The memories washed over her and made her miss Jen.

The waiter came and took their orders, Joey choosing a grilled salmon salad with iced tea and Dawson picking a club sandwich with sparkling water. When they were alone, Joey turned in the intimate booth and looked up at her companion. "Do you want me to jump in or build up to the moment?"

"This isn't a story arch that we can perfectly plan," Dawson shook his head. "I just want to know why you set up this meeting. I am guessing you don't want to sell story rights."

"I set it up because after all this time, after five years, after Pacey, after living a lie, after all of it, I am still completely, irrevocably, unconditionally and hopelessly in love with you, Dawson Leery," she confessed boldly. She didn't allow her eyes to drift from his, instead holding steadfast in her gaze. "I set it up because I wanted you to know every detail of my life and never miss another one and because I wanted you to know that I will change everything just for the chance for you to get to know the person I've become and get to be part of you again."

Dawson couldn't have written a more honest, more heartfelt monologue if he tried. "I still know exactly who you are, Jo. No matter how hard you try, nothing is going to change that," he told her. She might want to believe that she was this changed woman, but he knew her heart. "And you have always been part of me, even when I didn't want to carry your ghost anymore. I tried to shed those memories a long time ago, when I was a senior in high school and didn't want to live in the shadow of Dawson and Joey. It didn't work so well for me."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, allowing the depth of their confessions to seep in. Joey didn't know what else to say, she had put it all on the table. Dawson didn't have much else to add to the conversation, his heart as open as ever. It was only when a pretty petite redhead appeared at their table that either of them made any move. "Allison!" Dawson nearly cried as soon as he spotted her. He looked at Joey pointedly until she slid from the booth so that he could get out. He jumped from the seat and hugged the woman as if they were lifelong friends. Joey watched as the two of them fell into a fast-paced conversation, their hands flailing in the air as they gestured in a way that only two people who knew each other well could do.

Joey finally cleared her throat to remind Dawson of her presence. "Oh," he said dumbly, looking between the two women. "Of course, I'm sorry. Ali, this is Joey Potter." The redhead looked at her, and Joey knew that Dawson's friend knew exactly who she was. "Jo, this is Ali Clark."

"Nice to meet you, Ali," Joey said warmly, extending her hand to the redhead.

Ali shook her hand firmly and smiled widely at Joey. "Finally, I get to meet the illustrious Joey Potter." she bubbled, looking up at Dawson. "To say that I have heard a lot about you would be an understatement. I'm glad to finally see that you really do exist, Joey."

A confused look crossed Joey's face. "Ali used to be my assistant a few years ago. Now she's one of the writers on _The Creek_," Dawson explained. "I haven't seen her for a few months because we've been on hiatus."

"Ah," Joey exhaled, not at all ashamed of the relief in her voice. "So you have to live through the torture of recreating this one's adolescence for all of American to see?"

"Something like that," Ali chuckled before someone called her name. "I really should be going. My parents are in town." The young woman rolled her eyes and shrugged, as if to say it was an inconvenience. Joey wished she was as lucky. "Joey, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope that we do you justice." The two women exchanged genuine smiles before Ali looked at her boss. "And I will see you next week. I'm ready to get back to work and see what you have planned for this year."

Dawson looked at Joey fondly. "That's yet to be determined."

After a few more polite words, Ali disappeared and Dawson turned back to Joey. "So, yeah, I guess they have all heard a little bit about you over the years," he blushed before sliding back into the booth. Joey laughed and wondered to herself how many times her assistant had endured similar tales of the boy she had grown up with and still loved. Dawson let his hand rest across the back of the leather seat as she settled next to him. "I guess when you're in love, that's all you want to talk about."

The words echoed in her ears, causing her to turn to him. "In love?"

"We're soulmates, Jo," he said earnestly. "That sort of love never fades."

"I love you, Dawson, so much," she replied, her hands shaking as they reached for his. "I always will."

"I know that, Jo, I always have," he grinned, shaking his head. "I'm just glad you finally know."

"I do," she promised. "So I have another chance?"

"You never stopped having your first chance."

It was a perfect movie moment, one that would make its way into _The Creek_ two seasons later when the show announced its final season. At the screening of the show's finale, a very pregnant Joey stood proudly next to her husband on a high school auditorium stage in their hometown and thanked everyone who had worked on their show for the past season. Their friends and family lined the front row, clapping louder than anyone as the screen lit up with the final story they'd share with television viewers from across America. And when the credits rolled, Pacey laughed in shock as he saw that it was dedicated to him and in loving memory of Jen – the two people who had impacted their version of the world's greatest love story more than anyone. Pacey's new wife of three months, Dr. Andie McPhee-Witter, grinned next to him – Jack and Doug punching him on the shoulder from the other side. Audrey and Todd flanked Doug's other side while Bess, Bodie and Alexander along with Grams and Amy and Dawson's family filled the rest of the first row of seats. _The Creek_ had had its happy ending, and now, Dawson and Joey would finally have one of their very own.

_Fin._


End file.
